Pyrrha had always considered herself a competitive fighter. She had experience in tournament fighting that only few others could claim. While most huntsmen and huntresses train primarily to deal with Grimm, there were those who chose to make a career in competitive fighting. There was nothing wrong with that but it does come with the stigma that those who have chosen to fight for sport rather than civilization's survival are simply wasting their talents. Still, such competition does inspire people and positivity is still present there which combats the Grimm. Even if they didn't choose this path, any huntsman and huntress would be made to fight against one another in training or in combat when one side decides to use their training for nefarious purposes. The fight occurring in front of her was one that decided the fate of not just her but of that person named Amber.
For any other student, the duel occurring before her would have been one to see. After all, it doesn't come often that any student in Beacon, or any other academy for that matter, could witness two of their own faculty and staff engaging in such matches publicly. The most that they could hope for is for they themselves to have a match against the professionals who would obviously restrain themselves so as to ensure that the students could still improve. The student's youthful energies tested against the professional's experience. Here however, Pyrrha could confidently conclude that neither are really holding back.
She didn't even see a muscle move from their initial spots when professor Goodwitch had called for the match to begin; they were already on each other by then. None of the professors seemed surprised at all at the burst of speed that the two of them had. Pyrrha thought of herself fast but never like this. Only Ruby could possibly keep up with them thanks to her semblance and even then, Pyrrha had doubts.
Aura reserves were depleting slowly but constantly, contrasting the ferocity and intensity of their clashes. As the clanging of metal caused sparks to fly all over the arena, headmaster Ozpin had the finesse as he weaved and maneuvered his cane in ways that is comparable, and certainly in a more refined manner, to the way Weiss Schnee would fight; a duelist through and through. By contrast, professor Jekyll was wilder and fiercer, feral even. Gone was the mild-mannered and even meek staff member that she and many of the students had been familiar with. Pyrrha held herself tightly as she made herself as a small a figure as she could. The only student in the room shuffled herself to be behind professor Peach.
"Hyde already, huh," Peach commented. While she didn't seem to feel the same, she wasn't as relaxed. It was more that she was familiar with this sensation but was still cautious of it. It was as though that at any moment, Peach herself would be ready to fight if things were to got too intense. Across them, the other adults were much of the same; professor Goodwitch was especially ready to intervene with her crop held tightly, playing the role of referee.
Jekyll's weapon missed as Ozpin sidestepped. The latter didn't let the opportunity go to waste as the headmaster raised his knee to strike against the professor, using the momentum against his opponent. It was a common tactic that many would use if given the chance. Impressively, Ozpin's technique and form was perfect, comparable to that shown in textbooks, perhaps even better. It must have been refined by many years of practice to look so natural. Everyone in the room heard that crack as Jekyll's body contorted at the sudden shift of his momentum.
Before he could have been flown out of the arena, Jekyll clawed his fingers into the platform, leaving behind visible marks as he forcibly slowed his own flight path. Just as he was about to reach the edge, Jekyll pulled himself back and flung himself towards the headmaster again. He didn't even stop to get back on his two feet and simply ran on all fours. It was like watching a canine in human form; it didn't help that there were barks and growls that could be heard coming from him.
How is he the same professor? Pyrrha wondered. He had always been so reserved and proper. Sure, he must be a capable fighter being a huntsman and all but still, this was not how she imagined that professor Jekyll would be like. Like an animal that had been caged, it was as though that he had been set free but kept the grudge for being put on a leash for too long.
From below, Jekyll pounced to attack at Ozpin's neck. Throwing Jekyll's entire weight behind it, Ozpin had been forced back. The headmaster still fell as flashes of light blinded the man; Jekyll had fired his weapon from up-close. Other than the damage on Ozpin's aura, there was also the deafening sound from having it fired so close to the headmaster's ear. Pyrrha could imagine the ringing that Ozpin was hearing.
Seizing his opportunity, Jekyll was on top of Ozpin as their duel descended into a ground-and-stab with Ozpin covering himself with aura, preventing any cuts to his clothing and body. The headmaster was out of focus from having his hearing affected and Jekyll had seized the advantage and made sure that it stayed that way. If it wasn't for the fact that this had been a duel, Pyrrha was certain that Jekyll had intended to murder the headmaster here.
"By god," Peach commented. She was leaning forward. Her wings were ready to flap. "Merlot's Grimm got more mercy than this." Pyrrha glimpse at her professor. Did she have a dart gun with her? When and why did she get a dart gun?
Forcibly ripping Ozpin's guard open, Jekyll would have had his knife directly on his opponent's face if it wasn't for Ozpin having superior reflex and speed. When he had regained his focus and sense of balance he shot a fist that knocked Jekyll off and the headmaster freed himself from his predicament. The damage had been done, however, for the aura reserves showed that the advantage belonged to Jekyll. Both were in the yellow but Jekyll still had more.
Turning the tide to his favor, Ozpin swiped a back-fist at Jekyll, tossing the man a few meters away and giving himself time to fully stand back up. This had been followed by a series of thrusts so quick that there were afterimages that could be seen. Increasing in tempo, it climaxed to a final thrust aimed at Jekyll's head, causing him to fly further back and out of the arena, destroying the seats that he had landed on and damaging the ones that immediately surrounded him.
Under any other circumstance, the match would have been called here. However, that rule had been removed for this duel which also meant putting the audience members in danger. Peach was the first to move as her swan-wings covered Pyrrha from any damage as the two continued to duel even there at empty portion of the audience seats. Those same seats providing uneven ground and even served as additional weapons for the headmaster every time Jekyll's form had been slammed against it. His pained groans were proof of that.
Eventually, Jekyll managed to get Ozpin off of him and went back to his two feet.
Jekyll may have had the high ground but he was also off-balance. Ozpin made sure that he never could regain it, striking at the legs. More of those seats were being broken and the others were punctured with holes. Jekyll's attempts at using the small debris to get in Ozpin's vision did little to stop the headmaster's increasing momentum. The rate of decrease of those aura reserves had been reversed with Ozpin's slower descent as opposed to Jekyll's.
One advantage of having the high ground was that one could use their own foot directly against their opponent's face. With Ozpin's weapon being blunt rather than bladed, Jekyll made use of that and struck the headmaster on his cheek, ignoring any blow that may have occurred. Still, he yelled in pain when the cane had directly struck his shin. Aura may be a shield for the huntsman but that could only go so far. Due to that pain, before he could take full advantage of the opening that he had made, Ozpin had taken hold of Jekyll's other foot and flung him back at the arena.
The arena had been covered in a cloud of dust. A shadow moved. Pyrrha had to rub her eyes for she swore that she didn't see a humanoid shadow. Rather, she saw a large canine in Jekyll's place. Ozpin's silhouette was immediately on top of that shadowy hound, not noticing that the outline did not in any way match his opponent that should be making it. Ozpin cleared the smokescreen and when it was still Jekyll he was fighting, Pyrrha wondered if she was just simply seeing things. Their weapons locked and their arms trembled as both combatants sought to overwhelm the other through a contest of strength. Despite having the disadvantage of being lower and on his back, Jekyll's raw strength proved itself to be on par with Ozpin who had his entire weight behind him.
"You're doing well for yourself, professor Jekyll," Ozpin said. "Or am I speaking to mister Hyde?"
"Mister Hyde?" Pyrrha asked the professor next to her.
"Dang it, Ozpin." Peach shook her head, annoyance painting her face. "That was not yours to tell." Sighing, professor Peach then turned to Pyrrha and asked, "you know how miss Valkyrie's semblance works?"
Pyrrha nodded. Nora was her teammate after all and during the doubles round, her partner as well. It had also been aired during the team battles. Her semblance, High Voltage, allowed her to produce and channel electrical currents straight into her muscles. Pyrrha could still remember the horror that she and her actual partner, Jaune Arc, had felt when they saw their teammate electrocuting herself.
"Basically similar thing. Except, rather than channeling electrical currents, beansprout over here channels his inner… well, evil. Comes at the cost of possibly losing himself to it, though. You've already felt it, I'm sure. I can tell you right now, miss Nikos, that what your feeling right now is because of that. He gave it a name: Mister Hyde."
The young student leaned back. Semblances come in all shapes and forms and while there were semblances that require different sources in order to achieve similar effects, this had been the first time that she had heard of a semblance that comes with its own detriment. Not to mention, a semblance is meant to be the physical manifestation of one's soul, the embodiment of who they are as individuals. If one's semblance quite literally causes them to fall to their own evil, what does that say about the person?
Pyrrha could not imagine professor Jekyll like that. It could not be true. It was simply impossible that such a semblance could exist. But then, she remembered that professor Jekyll said that he was not from here.
Across them, Qrow Branwen snickered. He mumbled something to himself but neither Peach nor Pyrrha could hear it.
Professor Jekyll growled ferociously at being called by that name that the headmaster had used as the wild man used his legs to frantically get Ozpin off of him. The repeated action took its time but eventually, Ozpin lost his footing and was subsequently thrown off.
Again, rather than get back on his own two feet, professor Jekyll just went straight for Ozpin. Running as though he were an animal; he even leapt in the air like a predator about to take down its prey that was twice its size. Had he been with a team of like-minded individuals, it might have been a pack of predators on the hunt with Ozpin as the prey.
Pyrrha shook her head. No. Professor Jekyll was simply doing what he can to win this duel. Not just for his sake but for Amber's as well. Her hands clasped together as though she was praying. Her eyes focused on Jekyll's form as he got closer to the headmaster.
He never did get that chance as Ozpin raised his foot, kicking Jekyll directly on the chin. Spinning like a top, Ozpin got back on his feet and slammed his cane hard against Jekyll's sides with a deafening crack, slamming him back to the ground.
On the display above, the aura reserves showed Ozpin at an advantage. While they were still in the yellow, it was clear enough to the naked eye that Jekyll's own reserves was closer to the red, much closer to losing.
She bit her lip as her form shook. Pyrrha felt her lips move but she could not hear what she had said herself. All she knew was that the headmaster paused and looked at her in sadness. But he smiled in understanding and nodded. What was it that she said? She turned to professor Peach who seemed to be happy with whatever it was that she had shouted, proud even.
Across her, general Ironwood was a little disappointed. Professor Goodwitch looked at her in pity while Qrow took a sip of his flask.
Rather than take further advantage, Ozpin sought to back away and create distance between himself and his opponent. Jekyll didn't get back up just yet as the cloud of dust dissipated, revealing the professor on one knee. He was looking at her and nodded. Pyrrha blinked. Was it just her or were the colors of his eyes mismatched?
Both combatants had used this time to gather their breath. They breathed deeply as they tried to lower their own heart rate. Pyrrha herself started to feel a little safer now around professor Jekyll. Was it that evil that he was channeling for his semblance? Was that evil going down which was why she felt as though her professor had come back. She still felt it but it was lesser than before.
Jekyll got back on his two feet. Both combatants continued to breath as their weapons were lowered. It wasn't an untold agreement of stopping but rather a moment's respite. Their aura levels had begun to increase again. It was small and minuscule, almost unnoticeable unless one were to pay attention to it. Then, their knees were bent slightly as they readied themselves to engage once more.
However, headmaster Ozpin spoke up first, commenting, "ah, I see that you have achieved it, professor Jekyll." The headmaster sounded proud of it.
"Bugger off, you wanker," Jekyll barked back. His tone wasn't formal nor was it gentle. There was a roughness to it and Pyrrha was certain she heard a growl mixed in there somewhere. "Can't have Henry without Edward."
"If that is how you wish to see it." Ozpin's cane was pointed at him as he got into his fencing stance. By contrast, Jekyll's own was much closer to a violent thug about to murder and mug someone on the streets, much closer to intimidation. If it had been anyone else, Pyrrha wouldn't have felt such but considering that air that still clung around the professor, she could certainly believe that.
A drop of sweat fell from Jekyll's face. When it had hit the ground, the two clashed again. Any sign of exhaustion was absent; it was as though they fought for the first time again.
Their weapons caused sparks to fly as both combatants went past one another. While Jekyll moved with ferocity and wildness, Ozpin had grace and form. If the headmaster of Beacon Academy were to be the spectacle and glamor of the huntsman, the professor under his employ was the violence and brutality that can come along with it.
Each of Jekyll's swings were telegraphed and wide but the speed behind it was too great to take advantage of those openings. Ozpin's movements were efficient and never moving any more than it needed to. As they fell into this pattern, the headmaster was trapped on the spot, unable to even shuffle his feet but he never appeared to be struggling. Jekyll may have been on the outside, constantly on the move but he was failing at getting through Ozpin's defense that he would sooner exhaust himself before that, if their decreasing aura levels didn't reach red first.
"Beansprout better end it soon." Peach shook her head. "He won't make it otherwise."
Pyrrha looked up. Ozpin still had the advantage and was slowly gaining momentum. In this fight of attrition, the winner could only be the headmaster as Jekyll's exertion was also going to be his downfall. Animal-like in his movements, Jekyll even brought out another knife. This one didn't have any gun attached to it and he began to swing wildly, hoping that one of the blades would get through to the headmaster's seemingly impregnable shell.
"Are you really willing to risk their lives, Jekyll?" Ozpin called out.
Jekyll could only respond with growls and even an occasional bark as the onslaught continued to intensify. Miniscule sparks became flashes of light as metal clashed with metal.
"Many innocent lives will be lost if they get what they want. Is Amber's life any greater than theirs?"
The professor had begun to use his teeth as well. Every part of his body was being used just to get through the defense. Aura reserves showed that his was close to red.
"Is miss Rose's life lesser than Amber's?"
Suddenly, Jekyll's attack had slowed. It wasn't missed by Ozpin as his feet moved for once. However, Ozpin had yet fully seized the offensive as Jekyll shook his head and kept fighting.
"Or would you also throw away Peach's life just for a chance to save Amber?"
This time, there was a full pause. Ozpin's cane returned to Jekyll the amount of times that the latter's weapons had tried to struck the former. A multitude of thrusts rapidly ate away at what remains of Jekyll's aura.
The battle had been decided by one final swing of Ozpin's cane and professor Henry Jekyll of Beacon Academy fell to the ground, ending the match with the headmaster as the victor.
It was at that moment that Pyrrha had remembered to breath. She was gasping for air and nearly fell out of her own chair. When had she inched closer to the edge? Her hands were shaking.
"Winner," professor Goodwitch called out as though it were one of her classes. "Ozpin."
Pyrrha never realized before she had heard that declaration but her heart had sunk. With professor Jekyll's defeat, that must have meant that whatever had been settled between him and the headmaster would be in the latter's favor. Certainly, while she had been given the choice until the end of the Vytal Festival, it still felt as though that she wasn't given enough time. Would she ever?
"You might need this," professor Peach said as she offered a bottle of water. "You have a healthy set of lungs, miss Nikos. I'll give you that."
Pyrrha would have replied only to notice that no voice could come out. Her throat was hurting. It felt dry. Taking it, she felt refreshed. How had she forgotten to drink?
She never got an answer as professor Peach flew down the arena and struggled to carry a downed Jekyll.
Professor Goodwitch would have done the same for Ozpin but he declined.
"No," he said. "Leave me here." He put his entire weight on his cane. He had been exhausted and his breathing was labored. He then turned to her and said, "and miss Nikos. It is alright. I understand your feelings. Just know that you could always say no."
And find someone else who will say yes. Ozpin may not have said it, but Pyrrha heard it.
The other adults left the room, leaving Pyrrha to help professor Peach in carrying an unconscious Henry Jekyll outside the room.
"What did the headmaster mean by that?" she asked.
"You didn't notice?" Professor Peach raised a singular eyebrow. "Then again, I doubted you would. You simply made your feelings about what had been asked of you clear, miss Nikos. I told you that you have healthy lungs."
Pyrrha's eyes widened. "Oh," she said, softly. Weakly.
The sight of Beacon's professor being unconscious certainly caught the attention of other students. Professor Peach was quick on the lie by explaining that it had been an intense training session, one that Jekyll overestimated his own endurance. Pyrrha stayed quiet on that.
Rather than to the infirmary, professor Jekyll had been laid back on his bed in the dormitories.
"He'll be alright." Professor Peach assured her. "Nothing more than what is to be expected of huntsmen and huntresses in combat school. Might need a change in bedsheets and a shower, though."
Still, as an added measure, both Pyrrha and professor Peach removed the jacket and shoes of professor Jekyll. Professor Peach, in particular, took a towel and cleaned what grime and dirt that may have had on her partner's person.
When she had finished, professor Peach addressed Pyrrha saying, "you can go now, miss Nikos."
"I'm… sorry," was the only thing she could say.
"Don't be. He heard you; it's why he went feral, I suspect. I will say this, though: whatever choice you make, none of us here will think any less of you. If anything, it is more of a failure on our part having to entrust this sort of thing to the next generation. Fixing our problems should never have been yours to bear."
"Is there anything I can do to help him?"
Professor Peach pondered for a moment. She then smirked and said, "call for miss Belladonna. Normally, I, as a professor, should not be encouraging reckless behavior. But this way, there is a professional watching over her, keeping her safe."
Pyrrha didn't understand it at first but nodded. She turned but before she left the room, she gave one last look to the professor that had fought to let her live her life. There had to be something more that she could do. The final rounds still had ways to go, maybe she could do something about that?
But could she really do that? Knowing that someone else would be put in danger if she did?
/-/
Headmaster Ozpin waited until everyone had left Glynda's classroom before he collapsed on the floor. As headmaster, people expected him to be a capable huntsman, one who could serve as an example for every other huntsman that would enter and exit Beacon's halls. As such, he could not show them, even his fellow professionals, that he had pushed this body to its limits and needed that rest. Was it Jekyll or was it Hyde that had done this to him. Ozpin shook his head; the answer was obvious.
Silently, he apologized to Glynda for the damage done on the arena. While it was expected that there would be some damage, it had the students in mind. While the younger students certainly could use some lessons in restraint, mainly to conserve energy, one does not expect such perfomances to come from the professionals. Still, considering the stakes and his opponent, Ozpin could not afford to be lenient like he would a student.
Ozpin pulled out his scroll and began to call one of his own employees. When the recipient had picked up the call, he didn't even need to say anything before Greene answered him.
"Jekyll's name and scroll has already been blacklisted from accessing the Vault," Greene said on the other end. Her voice was mostly neutral with a hint of disappointment.
"You were watching?" Ozpin asked.
"Why wouldn't I? That's my teammate you were fighting."
"I apologize for being too harsh, then."
"If I may headmaster, was that really for me?"
Ozpin opted not to answer. He put down the call, having already confirmed what he needed from this duel. Something felt wet on his face; it made its way to his mouth. It was salty and bitter in taste. He sighed. "I apologize. Truly, none of you should have been brought to this. None of this is any of your faults. Had I known..."
He stayed sitting in his spot before he regained enough strength to stand back up. Ozpin struggled as he did so as he strained and used his cane to pull himself back. He looked back at the arena and noticed the markings left behind; it was when Jekyll had buried his fingers to stop himself from being thrown off.
Years of experience had taught Ozpin many things. From tracking wild animals to building entire nations, he was, at least, familiar with a lot of things. It was really only a matter of remembering it. Upon closer inspection, he was certain of the suspicion that had formed in his mind.
The markings on the ground could not have been caused by human fingers but that of a large and terrible beast.
AN: Didn't matter to me who wins, as a fan of both, I lose.